Reusable envelope and method of making same

ABSTRACT

A reusable envelope includes a plurality of panels defining a pocket having an opening for receipt of the content material. The reusable envelope also includes a flap closure having first and second bond lines and first and second flap folds disposed between the bond lines. The first flap fold and first bond line are adapted to close the pocket during an initial mail delivery while the second flap fold and second bond line are adapted to close the pocket for reuse during a subsequent mail delivery. A tear strip is disposed between the front panel and the flap closure to open the pocket for removal of the mailpiece content material. Upon removal of the tear strip and insertion of content material associated with the subsequent mail delivery, the second bond line connects the panels to close the pocket for reuse of the envelope.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/209,122, filed Jun. 10, 2009, (Docket No. G-515) entitled “Reusable Envelope Tear Off Front”

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to mailpiece envelopes, and, more particularly, to a new and useful reusable mailpiece envelope which facilitates assembly/use and is configured for ease of manufacture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the spirit of reducing the environmental impact associated with fabricating mailpiece envelopes, i.e., the number of trees cut, transported and consumed, interest is increasing for mailpiece envelopes which can be used more than once. For example, in a typical billing process, a first envelope containing a bill/request for payment, is mailed to a recipient and, a second envelope, contained and delivered within the first, is used by the recipient to return payment. Hence, two (2) envelopes are consumed in a typical billing process. Inasmuch as this type of mail communication is perhaps the most common form of exchange, an envelope which can be used multiple times, offers a unique opportunity to lower the cost of mailing and save natural resources.

Various attempts have been made to introduce a single envelope which may be reconfigured for reuse by the mail recipient. That is, envelopes have been designed which, after initial mailing, may be used again for return correspondence. In this specific instance, a single reusable envelope substitutes for two (2) or more envelopes, such as those required for bill/payment mail communications, discussed in the preceding paragraph.

While the motivation to implement reusable envelopes is well-understood and appreciated, especially in view of the current environmental climate, difficulties associated with (i) alterations during delivery, (ii) damage to the envelope, (iii) ease of use, and/or (iv) high fabrication cost, have slowed the widespread acceptance of such envelopes. For example, when a mailpiece is delivered, automated handling equipment used by the United States Postal Service (USPS), scans the mailpiece to read a “pre-sort” or “preprinted’barcode”, i.e., a barcode indicative of the recipient's destination address and which is used for sorting batches of mail into route/delivery order sequence. Should the pre-sort barcode be absent from the mailpiece, a scanner reads the destination address (i.e., via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) program code) and a barcode representative of the destination address is printed on the face of the mailpiece. This barcode information, also referred to as a POSTNET barcode, is now used by the automated handling equipment, e.g., distribution center sorters, to perform the requisite sorting (i.e., ZIP code or route order). Furthermore, the USPS uses these barcodes or Intelligent Mail Barcodes (IMBs) to encode the destination address.

While the printed barcode facilitates subsequent handling of a typical mailpiece i.e., one intended for one-way mail communications, the alterations produced by printing a barcode on the face of the envelope can create confusion during a subsequent mail delivery, i.e., mailpieces intended for reuse. For example, destination information printed during the preceding delivery, i.e., the barcode printed by the USPS, can, during a subsequent mail delivery, result in a “returned” mailpiece. That is, if the scanner interprets the previously printed barcode as the current destination address, the mailpiece will be delivered/returned to the sender's address rather than to the actual destination address.

While the printed barcode can be readily removed by erasure, or obscured by a label, each of these methods requires a positive action by the sender to reuse an envelope. That is, these methods require that directions posted on the reusable envelope, e.g., “remove attached label and cover any information/barcode printed in lower right corner”, be read by the sender and that and that the directions be followed correctly. Inasmuch as such directions can be inadvertently overlooked or incorrectly followed, it is disadvantageous for reusable envelopes to require actions other than those typically associated with mailing envelopes, e.g., open flap, insert content material so that the address can be seen though a transparent window, seal, apply postage, etc. Hence, reusable envelopes which are easy to use, i.e., do not require any unusual actions, will be most successful.

Other difficulties associated with reusable envelopes relate to the cost of fabrication and, more particularly, to the cost of invested capitol associated with new tooling or automated fabrication equipment. With respect to the latter, envelope manufacturers are, oftentimes, reluctant to invest in new equipment capable of handling the relatively complex flat patterns associated with reusable envelopes. That is, unless the flat patterns closely approximate those required for conventional mailpiece envelopes, a large investment may be required to fabricate unique, one-of-a-kind, tooling for processing more complex patterns. Inasmuch as these incremental additional costs cannot be easily amortized, the cost of the conventional two (2) envelopes can be less and more profitable than the cost of a single reusable envelope.

A need, therefore, exists for a reusable envelope which is facilitates ease of use and minimizes the cost of fabrication.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A reusable envelope is provided including a plurality of panels defining a pocket having an opening for receipt of the content material. The reusable envelope also includes a flap closure having first and second bond lines and first and second flap folds disposed between the bond lines. The first flap fold and first bond line are adapted to close the pocket during an initial mail delivery while the second flap fold and second bond line are adapted to close the pocket for reuse during a subsequent mail delivery. A tear strip is disposed between the front panel and the flap closure and opens the pocket for removal of the mailpiece content material following the initial mail delivery. Upon removal of the tear strip and insertion of content material associated with the subsequent mail delivery, the second bond line connects the panels to close the pocket for reuse of the envelope.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments of the invention, and assist in explaining the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 depicts a front view of a two-dimensional flat pattern of the reusable envelope according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a front view of the same two-dimensional flat pattern of the reusable envelope shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts a front view of the reusable envelope of the present invention after being folded/assembled and includes a flap closure connecting to one of the panels for closing the envelope during initial and subsequent mail deliveries.

FIG. 4 depicts a rear view of the reusable envelope shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 depicts a front view of the reusable envelope after an initial mail delivery wherein a tear strip connects the flap closure to the front panel, postage indicia is printed between the lines of perforation of the tear strip, and a Postnet barcode has been printed by the delivery agent on a region of the transparent window

FIG. 6 depicts a rear view of the reusable envelope shown in FIG. 5 wherein the flap closure seals along a second bond line to a rear panel of the envelope.

FIG. 7 depicts a front view of the reusable envelope wherein the tear strip is separated from the front panel and flap closure to open the envelope.

FIG. 8 depicts the front view of FIG. 7 wherein the flap closure is open and prepared sealing to the front panel.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the reusable envelope wherein the content material for subsequent mail delivery is enclosed by the flap closure which is sealed along first and second bond lines to the rear and front panels, respectively.

FIG. 10 is a rear view of the reusable envelope shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 depicts an alternate embodiment of the invention wherein the tear strip is structurally augmented by a reinforcing material bonded to a face surface of the tear strip.

FIG. 12 depicts another embodiment of the invention wherein the reusable envelope is structurally augmented in areas adjacent to the lines of perforation associated with the tear strip to prevent a tear from deviating from its intended path, i.e., along a line of perforation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a reusable mailpiece envelope and a method for fabricating the same. While the reusable mailpiece envelope is described in the context of a conventional number ten (10) mailpiece envelope, it will be appreciated that the teachings herein are equally applicable to other style envelopes, e.g., executive style, flats type etc., including other types of reusable envelopes.

FIGS. 1 and 2 depict front and rear views, respectively, of a two-dimensional, flat pattern 10F of a reusable envelope 10 (shown folded and assembled in subsequent figures) according to teachings of the present invention. The flat pattern 10F includes front and back panels 12, 14, which are connected or attached along a panel fold PFL (i.e., the bottom edge of the reusable envelope when folded and assembled). Tabs 16, 18 project laterally from the side edges 12SE of the front panel 12 and seal, along bond lines 16B, 18B, to the side edges 14SE of the back panel 14. The bond lines 16B, 18B may be a pressure actuated bonding adhesive or a more conventional fluid-activated adhesive. In the described embodiment, each of the tabs 16, 18 connect to the front panel 12 along tab folds TFL, which facilitate folding of the tabs 16, 18 over the back panel 14, i.e., once the back panel 14 is folded and in register with the front panel 12.

A flap closure 20 is connected to one of the panels 12, 14 via a tear strip 26 and includes first and second bond lines 20B, 22B which are substantially parallel and spaced-apart, i.e., via a threshold dimension D. Furthermore, the flap closure 20 defines first and second flap folds FF1, FF2 which are disposed between the first and second bond lines 20B, 22B. More specifically, the first flap fold FF1 is disposed between the second flap fold FF2 and the second bond line 22B while the second flap fold FF2 is disposed between the first flap fold FF1 and the first bond line 20B. The import of such spatial relationships will become apparent when discussing/examining the assembly of the reusable envelope 10 in the subsequent text and drawings.

The tear strip 26 is disposed between the flap closure 20 and the front panel 12 and is defined by lines of perforation 30 a, 30 b which are spaced apart and substantially parallel. In the described embodiment, one of the perforation lines 30 b, which is contiguous with the front panel 12, extends across each of the tab folds TFL and includes end portions TP which correspond in shape to the corner edge profile 14EP of the rear panel 14. That is, the end portions TP of the perforation 30 b compliment the shape of the edge profile 14EP of the rear panel 14 upon being adhesively bonded to each of the side tabs 16, 18. These portions TP facilitate removal of the tear strip 26 from the envelope inasmuch as the perforation 30 b cuts through or severs a single thickness of sheet material. That is, the end portions TP of the perforation 30 b avoid difficulties associated with tearing multiple layers of sheet material as may be required when one of the panels 12, 14 overlap one of the tabs 16, 18.

A crescent or C-shaped perforation PT is disposed along the tear strip 26 and bifurcates the tear strip 26 into portions 26 a, 26 b. More specifically, the C-shape perforation PT is located away from each side edge 12SE of the front panel 12, or tab fold line TFL, to facilitate removal of the tear strip 26 and printing of a return address/postage indicia to either side of the perforation PT.

The front panel 12 includes at least one window 40 which bounds a first region RDA for displaying the destination address of the envelope 10. Additionally, or alternatively, the window 40 bounds a second region RPZ corresponding to a zone for printing additionally or supplemental information, i.e., information printed by the delivery agent to facilitate routing of the mailing envelope. In the described embodiment, the window 40 includes a film media 40F bonded to an internal face surface of the front panel 12 which is sufficiently transparent or translucent to view/read information printed on the internal content material. The second region RPZ of the window 40 is formulated to receive inkjet print such that information printed by the delivery agent during an initial mail delivery is unreadable during a subsequent mail delivery. A reusable envelope adapted to prevent the readability of such printed information is described in commonly-owned, co-pending patent application Ser. No. ______ entitled “Reusable Windowed Envelope” (Atty. Docket #. G-521) which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIGS. 3 and 4 depict front and back views, respectively, of the reusable envelope 10 after being folded, assembled and prepared for receipt of content material. The side tabs 16 and 18 have been folded along the tab folds TPL, the rear panel 14 has been folded about the panel fold PFL, and the rear panel 14 has been sealed to each of the side tabs 16, 18 along the bond lines 16B, 18B. As such a pocket for receiving content material is produced by the front and rear panels 12, 14 in combination with the side tabs 16, 18. FIGS. 3 and 4 show the flap closure 20 in an up/open position to receive content material.

In FIGS. 5 and 6, front and rear views of the reusable envelope 10 are depicted after an initial mail delivery. Therein, the tear strip 26 connects the flap closure 20 to the front panel 12, and postage indicia 44 is printed between the lines of perforation 30 a, 30 b of the tear strip 26. Furthermore, the mail recipient/destination address 46 of the envelope 10 is viewable through the transparent window 40, i.e., region RDA of the window 40 and a Postnet barcode 48 has been printed by the delivery agent on the region RPZ of the transparent window. As discussed in the Background of the Invention, whenever the delivery agent cannot find, or, for any one of a variety of reasons, fails to read a presort barcode (i.e., a barcode applied by the sender, which is the equivalent of a POSTNET barcode, to receive a presort postage discount), the delivery agent prints the POSTNET barcode 48 on the face of a mailpiece to facilitate subsequent handling/routing of the mailpiece during mail delivery. It will be also recalled that the region RPZ of the window 40 has been coat, treated or otherwise formulated to receive, i.e., be receptive to accept, inkjet print.

In FIG. 6, the flap closure 20 folds about the first flap fold FF1 such that a first portion of the flap closure 20 remains coupled to the tear strip 26, i.e., a portion which includes/accepts the second bond line (see FIG. 4) while a second portion of the flap closure 20 may be sealed to the rear panel 14 along the first bond line 20B. The second flap fold FF2 is disposed between the first flap fold FF1 and the first bond line 20B to be used during the subsequent mail delivery, discussed in the following paragraphs.

In FIG. 7, the mail recipient opens the envelope 10 by removal of the tear strip 26. More specifically, a pull strip perforation PT, comprising a central slit CS and aligned punch holes PH to each side thereof, is provided to initiate tearing and removal of the tear strip 26. To avoid damage to the envelope 10, the pull strip perforation PT may be located between the tab flap folds TFL to bifurcate the tear strip 26 into first and second portions 26 a, 26 b. The distance from either of the tab flap folds TFL may vary depending upon the desired location of the return address, i.e., to one or the other side of the perforation PT. Inasmuch as the tear strip 28 is located and, is appropriated sized to allow the return address and postage indicia to be printed between the lines of perforation 30 a, 30 b, removal of the tear strip 26 effects removal of the return address and cancelled postage indicia. Moreover, once the tear strip 26 is removed, the flap closure 20 is retained/sealed to an upper edge of the rear panel 14. by the first bond line 20B.

In FIG. 8, the envelope 10 is opened, i.e., the flap closure 20 is shown in an up/open position, and the content material has been removed, i.e., the content material associated with the initial mail delivery. Further, the flap closure 20 is coupled to the rear panel 14 along the first bond line 20B. Moreover, in the front view depicted, a portion of the flap closure 20, i.e., the portion containing the second bond line 22B, is unfolded (relative to the he first flap fold FF1). Remaining is the POSTNET barcode 48 which was printed by the delivery agent during the initial mail delivery, i.e., upon recognizing that a Presort barcode was missing.

In FIG. 9, the content material for subsequent mail delivery has been inserted such that the destination address 46 of the mailpiece is viewable through a portion RDA of the transparent window 40. In the described embodiment, the content material includes a darkened area or strip 52 which corresponds to the region RPZ, i.e., the region of the window 40 coated, treated or otherwise formulated to accept or receive inkjet print. As discussed in the co-pending patent application which has been incorporated by reference, the darkened area 52 is operative to diminish or entirely prevent the readability of the previously printed POSTNET Barcode 48. As such, the barcode 48 printed during the initial mail delivery will have no impact, or affect on the delivery/routing, during a subsequent mail delivery.

In FIGS. 9 and 10, the flap closure 20 (i) folds about the second flap fold FF2, (ii) seals to the rear panel 14 along the first bond line 20B, and (iii) seals to the front panel 12 along the second bond line 22B. Inasmuch as the tear strip 26 has been removed, the overall height of the envelope 10 is reduced by about one-half the height dimension H_(T) of the tear strip 26. That is, upon removal of the tear strip 26, the flap closure 20 folds about the second flap fold FF2 and the second bond line 22B seals to the front panel 12. By changing the fold lines, i.e., from the first flap fold FF1 to the second flap fold FF2, the height HE of the envelope is reduced.

In an alternate embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 11, it may be desirable to strengthen or reinforce portions of the envelope 10 to ensure that the tear strip 26 may be removed without damaging the envelope 10. For example, a reinforcing film 60 may be bonded to the internal face of the tear strip 26, i.e., along its length, to augment the strength of the tear strip 26 inboard of each perforation 30 a, 30 b. The reinforcing film 60 may be the same film media used to produce transparent windows, e.g., the transparent window 40 for viewing the destination address 48.

Alternatively, or additionally, in FIG. 12, it may be desirable to reinforce the envelope 10 in areas immediately adjacent to the lines of perforation 30 a, 30 b to prevent a tear from deviating from its intended path, i.e., along one of the lines of perforation 30 a, 30 b. For example, the film media 40F covering the window 40 may be enlarged such that a peripheral edge 40E of the film media 40F is bonded immediately adjacent the lower of the two lines of perforation 30 a, 30 b, i.e., disposed between the tear strip 26 and the front panel 12. While the peripheral edge 40E of the film media 40F may extend the full length of the longer portion 26 a of the tear strip 26, as illustrated, peripheral edge 40E extends from the crescent-shaped pull strip perforation PT to a location midway between the tab folds TFL. With respect to the upper perforation 30 a, the second bond line 22B is disposed adjacent and alongside the upper perforation, hence no further structural augmentation or reinforcement is needed. As a result of one or both of the reinforcing techniques described and illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12, a tear will follow each line of perforation 30 a, 30 b without deviating into the front panel 12 or flap closure 20. Consequently, damage to the reusable envelope 10, while opening or re-sealing, can be significantly reduced or entirely eliminated.

In summary, the reusable envelope 10 of the present invention includes a tear strip 26 along the front face of the envelope 10 to (i) open the envelope, (ii) eliminate printed information associated with the initial mail delivery, e.g., the return address, postage indicia, etc., and (iii) produce a flap closure having bond lines which seal/close the envelop during the initial and subsequent mail deliveries. The periphery of the two-dimensional flat pattern 10F (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) is essentially identical to the peripheral shape of conventional mailing envelopes, and, accordingly, may be processed/handled by conventional automated fabrication equipment. That is, the shape and size of the reusable envelope is sufficiently similar to that of conventional envelopes such that bond lines, fold lines and perforation lines may be incorporated/produced without significant changes to existing envelope fabrication systems. As a result, the cost of fabricating a single reusable envelope 10 in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is significantly less than the cost of producing two (2) conventional envelopes, i.e., one for sending a communication and the other for receiving a communication responsive to the first.

It is to be understood that all of the present figures, and the accompanying narrative discussions of preferred embodiments, do not purport to be completely rigorous treatments of the articles and methods under consideration. Consequently, a person skilled in the art will understand that the elements described represent general cause-and-effect relationships that do not exclude intermediate interactions of various types. A person skilled in the art will further understand that the various elements described in this application can be implemented by a variety of different combinations which need not be further elaborated herein. 

1. A reusable envelope for mailing content material, comprising: a plurality of panels defining a pocket having an opening for receipt of internal content material; a flap closure having first and second bond lines and first and second flap folds disposed between the bond lines, the first flap fold and first bond line adapted to close the pocket during an initial mail delivery and the second flap fold and second bond line adapted to close the pocket for reuse during a subsequent mail delivery; and a tear strip disposed between, and connecting, the front panel and the flap closure, the tear strip adapted to separate the flap closure from the front panel to open the pocket for removal of the mailpiece content material following the initial mail delivery.
 2. The reusable envelope according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of panels includes a front panel having a window disposed therein for viewing delivery information printed on the content material, and a rear panel connecting to the front panel along a panel fold, the front and rear panels connecting along oppositely-disposed lateral edges to define the pocket for receipt of the mailpiece content material.
 3. The reusable envelope according to claim 1 wherein the tear strip is defined by, and between, perforation lines which are spaced apart to accept postage indicia therebetween.
 4. The reusable envelope according to claim 1 wherein the first flap fold is disposed between the second flap fold and the second bond line and wherein the second flap fold is disposed between the first flap fold and the first bond line.
 5. The reusable envelope according to claim 3 wherein the tear strip is bifurcated into at least two portions by a tab line perforation facilitating removal of the tear strip.
 6. The reusable envelope according to claim 1 further comprising a sealing tab projecting laterally from each side edge of a panel and connecting thereto along a tab fold, and wherein the tear strip is defined by a pair of perforation lines which are spaced apart, one of the perforation lines crossing each of the tab folds and defining a portion which corresponds in shape to the edge of an adjacent panel to facilitate removal of the tear strip from the panel.
 7. The reusable envelope according to claim 1 wherein the first bond line of the flap closure adhesively bonds to the rear panel during the initial mail delivery and wherein second bond line of the flap closure adhesively bonds to the front panel during the subsequent mail delivery.
 8. The reusable envelope according to claim 1 wherein the tear strip is defined by, and between, lines of perforation and further comprising a reinforcing film bonded to a face surface of the tear strip and disposed between the lines of perforation.
 9. The reusable envelope according to claim 1 wherein the tear strip is defined by, and between, lines of perforation, and further comprising a reinforcing material disposed adjacent to, and outboard of, each line of perforation to mitigate damage to the envelope when removing the tear strip.
 10. The reusable envelope according to claim 1 wherein the first and second bond lines are substantially parallel and separated by a threshold dimension to facilitate manufacture by automated fabrication equipment.
 11. A method for fabricating a reusable envelope, comprising the step of: cutting sheet material into a flat pattern comprising first and second panels connecting along a panel fold, a side tab projecting from and connecting to each side edge of one of the panels along tab folds, a flap closure having first and second fold lines, and a tear strip disposed between and connecting the flap closure to the front panel; applying adhesive bonding material along the flap closure to define first and second bond lines, the bond lines disposed to each side of a flap fold such that the first and second flap folds are disposed between the first bond and second bond lines; applying adhesive bonding material to each side edge of the second panel, thereby defining a pair of tab bond lines; perforating the sheet material between the first panel and the flap closure to define a tear strip therebetween, and assembling the first and second panels in combination with the side tabs such that the panels are bonded along the tab bond lines, the panels and side tabs defining a pocket for receipt of content material.
 12. The method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of cutting a window into the first panel for viewing delivery information printed on the content material.
 13. The method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of bifurcating the tear strip into two portions by a tab line perforation.
 14. The method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of perforating each of the side tabs along a line corresponding in shape to an edge of an adjacent panel, the tab perforation facilitating removal of the tear strip from the panel.
 15. The method according to claim 9 wherein the tear strip is defined by, and between, lines of perforation and further comprising the step of structurally augmenting the face surface of the tear strip to mitigate damage to the envelope upon removal of the tear strip.
 16. The reusable envelope according to claim 1 wherein the tear strip is defined by, and between, lines of perforation, and further comprising the step of reinforcing the envelope in areas adjacent to a line of perforation. 